District 186’s Barney Fife
CARTOON BY CHRIS BRITT
Dumb and dumber: Political fearmongers
One thing you can say about Rick Perry is that he sticks to his guns. If one of his policy proposals turns out to be dumb, by golly, he will double down on dumb. For example, in his current re-run for the GOP presidential nomination, the “Oops” governor has repositioned himself as an expert on…
Sunshine on Sangamon County
Tony DelGiorno. PHOTO FROM TONYDELGIORNO.COM Politics and corruption are two words that are all too often found together, especially in Illinois. While we have laws meant to protect whistleblowers who point out legitimate problems, most remain fearful for their jobs if they were to shine a light on a dark corner. Since I was elected…
Celebrity choreography
PHOTO COURTESY PRAIRIE ART ALLIANCE Springfield celebrities will pair with local dancers to razzle and dazzle guests in the Hilton’s Grand Ballroom on Saturday, Nov. 8, during the Prairie Art Alliance’s annual Dancing with the Starz competition. This popular fundraiser, now in its ninth year, is loosely based on the hit television show by a…
retiree’s lament poem #1
the State has stole our pensionsthe State has stole our pensionsthe State has stole our pensionssing loo-di-doo-di-doo that big ole bag of moneywe gave our savings tothe State just took and stole itsing loo-di-doo-di-doo there must have been some Interest’twas a humongous sumthe State could have that gladlyif they’d just left us some!sing loo-di-doo-di-doo-di-doosing loo-di-doo-di-doo
Union shells out big bucks to defeat Rauner
I wasn’t hugely surprised when Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers contributed $30,000 to the Illinois Libertarian Party’s candidate for governor, Chad Grimm, earlier this month. After all, the union’s president, Jim Sweeney, was out in front of the push to beat Bruce Rauner during the Republican primary. After a stormy…
Brewhaus celebration
Tom Irwin celebrates 20 years of Sundays at the Brewhaus, Oct. 26, 7 to 11 p.m. There’s something about approaching late October that I always look forward to experiencing. It’s the smell of the cooling air, the feel of warming sunshine, leaves turning and falling in swirls and oh, yes … my birthday. I’ve always…
Farmers market fun
PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE The Old Capitol Farmers Market wraps up the 2014 season with a special Halloween-themed bash this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In addition to hosting the local farmers, artisans and other vendors who sell their products and host demonstrations each week, this Saturday’s market will also feature special Halloween…
HISTORIC HOUSE ENDANGERED
PHOTOS BY PATRICK YEAGLE Just across Fourth Street from the Executive Mansion, in the shadow of the Mansion View Hotel, sits a small, unassuming house that has seen better days. It’s known as the Condell House, and it’s one of the oldest remaining houses in Springfield. Built in 1842 as an addition to the long-gone…
APL ROADSHOW
What does $56,000 buy? If you’re a dog or cat in need of a home, a 30-foot long trailer with air conditioning for when it’s hot outside, heat for when it’s cold, a generator to keep the power going and room for as many as 25 homeless critters to go on display so that potential…
Not your average fall festival
PHOTO BY DAVID HINE For most of us in the 21st century, fall is synonymous with fun. It’s a time for parties, pumpkin carving, corn mazes, costume contests, apple cider, trick-or-treating, haunted houses and more. However, in Lincoln’s 1830s New Salem, fall meant it was time for pioneers to prepare harvest and homestead for the…
Rallying the troops
State Journal-Register editorial employees will rally outside newspaper offices. PHOTO BY DAVID HINE UPDATED OCT. 28 WITH VIDEO BELOW After seven years of no raises, editorial employees at the State Journal-Register are asking the public to join them for a Monday rally outside newspaper offices on Ninth Street. “Anybody can come by and march with…
A pittie-ful situation
Pity the pit bull. Some see the breed as the devil incarnate, out to ravage men, women and children, not to mention other dogs, with vise-like jaws, lots of teeth and a hair-trigger temperament that has earned it a reputation as the fiercest canine on the planet. Others see a playful, intelligent pooch that’s loyal,…
Lane changes
South bound bike lane on Second Street between Edwards and Cook Streets. PHOTO BY DAVID HINE It isn’t quite ISIS crossing the Mexican border, but from the way that some people reacted to it, you’d have thought that the arrival of bicyclists on Second Street threatened our American Way of Life. Which it did, if…
Ad nauseam
An attack ad from Oberweis’ campaign claims Durbin has been in office too long and “broke Washington.” This is no David and Goliath battle. Here, “David” has little chance of winning, and “Goliath” has barely acknowledged there even is a battle. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Springfield, a Democrat representing Illinois, is seeking re-election against…
Peace for Israel and Palestine?
Former president Jimmy Carter pHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE Decades of violence between Israelis and Palestinians could be ended by carving out space for a Palestinian state, according to Jimmy Carter. The 90-year-old former president visited Jacksonville Oct. 14 to promote a plan for peace between Israel and Palestine, but Jewish leaders in Springfield say establishing…
Crisis of the week
Curses, foiled again • Police got a good look at a burglary suspect who made off with $3,700 in Coral Gables, Fla., even though the man tried to hide his identity by repositioning surveillance cameras toward the office building’s elevators. A large mirror located next to the elevators reflected the man’s image and actions, which…
Project Censored
Our oceans are acidifying – even if the nightly news hasn’t told you yet. As humanity continues to fill the atmosphere with harmful gases, the planet is becoming less hospitable to life as we know it. The vast oceans absorb much of the carbon dioxide we have produced, from the industrial revolution through the rise…
Knight terrors
I’m a woman in my early 30s. I was one of the employees who got laid off after my employer lost a big account. I’ve found a new job, but it’s not on my career path and it pays terribly. Still, it’s a job and it pays. I live with my boyfriend and we’ve always…
Letters to the Editor 10/23/14
RAISE ROOM RATESInstead of putting an envelope in each Marriott hotel room along with suggesting a proper amount for hotel guests to tip housekeeping personnel (Jim Hightower, “Marriott’s shameful hotel tipping scam,” Oct. 17), I suggest that Marriott determine what that amount would be on an hourly basis, add it to the housekeepers’ hourly wage,…
John Wick: A bloody, cathartic ride
Keanu Reeves as the title character in John Wick. PHOTO COURTESY Summit Entertainment Make no mistake, there’s little in the way of originality where David Leitch and Chad Stahelski’s John Wick is concerned. It’s a simple story you know well – a man of violence, in an attempt to put his past behind him, settles…
A spooky supper
Witches fingers. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ Halloween treats don’t all have to be sweet. Here are some devilish dishes for a spooky supper to delight kids and adults alike. Most iterations of witches fingers are made with cookie dough. Cheddar pastry makes a great savory alternative. Witches fingers• 1/2 lb. sharp orange-colored cheddar cheese, grated…
Charlie Parr�
Often musicians who emulate a sound from the past are destined to succumb to the public perception of revivalist or tribute artist, but Charlie Parr consistently rises above such notions while proudly and succinctly performing on the perch of his musical roots. Influenced in the country-blues styles as popularized by the old blues masters such…
The angel of death
Mary Welles lost three children and a nephew to scarlet fever in January of 1857. The citizens of 19th century Springfield may not have faced the threat of ebola or known what an enterovirus is, but they were no strangers to deadly outbreaks of infectious diseases. In a populous area with poor sanitation, like Springfield…
